In organizations having inventory items, such as automobiles or other vehicles, which are each individually accessed and/or operated by a dedicated key, there is an acute need to maintain the keys in an orderly and organized manner, preferably in a central location, so that members of the organization, such as sales people and the like, may reliably and readily locate a key to conduct test drives, offer product demonstrations, and conduct other activities with the individually accessible inventory item. In this regard, experience has shown that the approach of merely providing a central keyboard or keybox in which the keys are collectively stored soon undermines the goal of maintaining the keys in a readily retrievable disposition. For example, several of the key users are invariably delinquent in returning the “borrowed” keys to the central keyboard or keybox. Likewise, the key users often find it convenient to borrow several keys at once, thereby depriving others of the opportunity to make use of the borrowed keys unless the multiple key borrower is identified and contacted to obtain the desired keys.
Accordingly, the need exists for an apparatus which ensures that a desired key will not be released to a potential key user unless some means of identification, such as the potential key user's own key or the like, is automatically retained in response to the borrowing of the desired key. Additionally, the need exists for an apparatus for selectively releasing and retaining keys which only releases the key user's identification means, such as the user's own key or the like, upon disposition of the borrowed key in a key retained position.
One such apparatus which addresses these needs is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,347 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,066. The apparatus operates by alternately retaining a selected one of a pair of keys and releasing the other one of the pair of keys. The retained key cannot be released until the other key is again disposed in a retained position. The apparatus includes a base plate having a pair of key receptacles, a slider member slidably mounted on the base plate, a visitor key having a pinion gear and a home key. The slider member includes a pair of key retaining slots for respectively retaining each key and a rack for driving engagement by the visitor key pinion gear for effecting sliding movement of the slider member in response to rotation of the visitor key pinion gear. A conventional key can be secured to the home key to control use of the conventional key through the selected release and retention of the visitor key and the home key.
What is still needed in the art, however, is an asset retention system, such as a key retention system or the like, that allows a plurality of assets, such as keys or the like, to be retained or released in unison.